Unwanted Attention
by EnyaandEathenyl
Summary: Sometimes, the life you dream about having is so different than what you actually get. That's what I learned when I absorbed the Tesseract. It was full of pain, hurt, and torture. Now, after we stopped Loki, I have more to worry about. What's my story? Well, I tell you. Sorry! It's a sucky summary, but please read and review. T for safety. No cussing. Love triangle.
1. Blue Energy

Hey, y'all! So, I'm updating all my chapters, making some major changes. Please please please take the time to read these new updates. Very important! Plot change, name change, etc.

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Sometimes, you wait for just the right person to come along and catch your heart. You look at the people around you and you wonder, "Has that special someone just passed me by?" When you're not feeling right, you whisper, "I'm not ready for this person. What if I'm not liked? What happens then?" But, when you're feeling confident, you look the world in the eye and shout, "Alright! Bring it! I'm ready to meet this person. I'm ready to know."

That's where I was when I had the accident. I was ready to meet that special someone who would love me for who I am. I was ready to be swept off my feet by the love of my life. But there was a problem.

I think I should introduce myself before I toss all my life problems on you. My name is Ava Thompson. When my story starts, I was fourteen years old. I know I was a little young to be worrying about the person I'm going to live with, but I was young and stupid. I didn't know what I was doing. I was only a sophomore in high school when my life changed; for the worse.

I didn't realize that sometimes, two people love you, and you don't care. I was so wrapped up in the events around me that I forgot about love. Then, two people fell in love with me as I grew older, and I refused to acknowledge it. I brushed off offers of help; I ignored the signs that they loved me. And I still don't care. I still don't understand how I don't care. But my life was so radically changed that I didn't have time to worry about it. But, I wish I had paid more attention. The attention of those two people was dangerous to me. I was physically, emotionally, and psychologically hurt. How did my life change? Well, I'll tell you.

So, again, my name is Ava. I am a pure-breed tomboy. No dresses, no pink, no skirts, no make-up. But, in the back of my mind, there was always one question: who will I live with for the rest of my life? It was the opposite of my personality. I was energetic, positive, social, and my best friends were guys. And the entire time, I thought nothing about the fact that I might be attracted to any of them. I'm not going to go into my school life; I'm just going to start at the beginning. Ish.

I was lying on my back with my leather-bound notebook in hand, chewing my pencil. That day was a gorgeous, care-free Saturday. I had spent the morning puzzling out what to do, when I remembered a little grove in the woods near my house. It was a small little circle of soft grass in the middle of a thicket of blackberry bushes. The baby-blue sky was only visible because the thick leafy tree branches did not cover where the bushes grew.

I scribbled down a few sentences, then stared at the sky. I saw a jet fly over head. There was an almost undetectable flash of blue light. I couldn't see the falling object because it was the exact same blue as the sky. I didn't see it until it was too late, and it landed on me. I tried to push it off, but it flashed blindingly and vanished. I thought it was alright, but my vision was tinted light blue. I shook my head, and my vision righted. I frowned and turned to pick up my notebook, which I had dropped. It lay on the grass, the soft, dark brown leather glistening slightly in the sun. I fished around for my pencil and found it in a blackberry bush.

I lay back down in the sun, pushed the strange incident out of my head. Maybe I just imagined it. As much as I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about that strange glowing cube. I shrugged it off and stood up. I walked through a small gap in the thorny bushes and over to a large oak tree. I reached into a hollow and exchanged my notebook and pencil for a thin blanket. Returning to my little hideout, I curled up in the shade of a bush and sucked on the sour fruit. Eventually, I pulled the blanket over my shoulders and fell asleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I awoke, I heard a voice.

"... fell around here somewhere. There aren't any signs of life, so no one could've picked it up." said a man.

Keep looking. We can't afford to lose it. A walkie talkie buzzed into existence with another masculine tone.

"Affirmative."

Footsteps brought an unknown person toward my safe haven. I curled tighter into my blanket as I considered my options. A strand of my dark brown hair fell in my face, and I pushed it back, concentrating. One: I could wait until the strange man left. Two: I could burrow through this blackberry bush and run, but the thorns are pretty sharp. Three: I could simply approach him and ask if he need help. The next sentence he muttered, I opted for number one.

"If anyone has taken it, they will regret being born."

Psycho!

I pressed my back gently into the bush without a rustle. The wonderful thing about this particular bush is the shape. A few years ago, I used wooden boards and such to make the branches grow so I could slide underneath them into a tiny hollow. Most of my body was concealed by greenery and purple fruit. I thought I was safe. I thought. Thought.

Blue eyes suddenly pierced my emerald green ones. I gasped, but before I could even scream, he seized my shoulder and dragged me out. I bit his out and started to run, but something cold stuck into my neck, and I collapsed.

I woke chained to some kind of handrail by my hands. I was sitting on the ground of what felt like an airplane, and was lying on my back, my hand above me. The skin underneath the sharp metal was raw. There was no gag, which I was extremely thankful for. I peeled my eyes open and saw two men staring at me.

I recognized the one from before by his mouse-brown hair. He features were sharp and cold. He was very muscular, but not in a cool way. It was intimidating. The other man had gray hair and smile lines on his white face. It would have been a comforting sight if not for the hard expression.

"So, the Tesseract is inside her? That's impossible!" The unknown man exclaimed.

"I saw it! She was glowing blue, and streaks of blonde were waving hair!" the brown-haired man cried defensively.

I was glowing blue? My hair was waving with blonde streaks? What was happening to me? "Ok, apparently, I'm still passed out to you guys, but wakeup call! I can hear everything you're saying. So, you wanna tell me what's going on?" I snap.

"We believe that when the Tesseract hit you, it seeped in through the pores in your skin and entered your veins. We don't know how we're going to get it out, but if we can't we're going to have to open it while it's inside you. We need to wait just a little bit because all the liquid Tesseract is going to your heart, and we believe it's forming a shell around your heart. Once it solidifies around it, then we believe we can activate it," the mysterious man rattled off. I had no idea what he was talking about. Tesseract? Solidifies? Activate?

"I have two more questions. Who are you, and how do you plan to activate this "Tesseract"?" I was not exactly looking forward to the answer to the last question.

"My name is Doctor Erik Selvig, and this is Clint Barton, or better known as Hawkeye. And as for how we are going to activate the Tesseract, it responds to violent blasts of electricity or bursts of radiation." Selvig checked a piece of equipment. "And it looks like the Tesseract has solidified. We can get to work."

"Wait, you don't mean-" I was instantly sick to my stomach.

Selvig picked up a rod of metal and electricity leapt off the point. Fear smothered me, and at the first zap, I screamed in pain. It was alternated with radiation and electricity, and by the end, I thought I was going to die. I could barely scream.

"Put it as high as it will go," Selvig instructed.

Clint raised a bar as high as it would go along with another one. The electricity and the radiation poles touched my skin at the same time. I waited for them to flicker with the horrid light. I waited for unbearable pain.

It came.

A horrible, drawn out scream shot from my mouth. I couldn't believe this. Earlier today, I was writing in my notebook, thinking about what it would be like to have a supernatural life. I had no idea what I was wishing for.

"Stop." Clint's voice was hard. "We're only ten minutes away from the helicarrier. She needs her strength."

Tears streaked down my face as I waited for the pain to subside. It didn't. I moaned softly, and the tears dripped from my chin. I caught a reflexion of myself in a panel. I was softly glowing light blue and my chocolate brown hair was dancing with stripes of blonde. My eyes widened in shock, and I noticed that they were changing colors rapidly. Blue. Green. Gray. Brown. Pink. Purple. Red. Yellow. Orange. Black. White. It was scaring me, how quickly I was changing. I glanced at the two men, but their backs were to me.

The energy drained from my body, and I passed out.

I was woken again, not ten minutes later. Clint pulled me to the edge of the plane. He jumped down onto the roof of a helicarrier. Selvig lifted my small frame up and threw me down. I was still in a daze from pain, so I didn't even scream. I knew Hawkeye was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and he wouldn't miss me. He had blasted a hole in the side of the ship right over the engine, and he leapt down into the helicarrier. He shoved me on my feet and we ran down the hall, Clint tugged on the chains linked my handcuffs. We ran past several guards, who shot at us. I was terrified. Time slowed down, and I saw bullets racing toward us. I lifted my bound hands and two discs of glowing blue light attached themselves to my hands. The bullets rebounded off them and I stared at my hands for a moment.

Our pause was brief, and we were already running down the corridor. I caught a reflection of myself in the glass and I looked like I did before: glowing body, changing eyes, waving hair. This was beginning to scare me, and I ran faster to avoid being dragged along the floor.

When we reached the control room, Clint shot an arrow into a computer, and another engine shut off. I broke away from him while he was distracted, and he raced after me. From hanging with boys, I've learned to run pretty fast. I thought I was quick. Next to Hawkeye, I was pathetic. He tackled me to the ground, and I grunted. The barrel of a gun was forced to my head. Just when I thought he was going to pull the trigger, a red-haired lady kicked him away from me.

"Run!" she ordered.

I did. I ran for my life down the hall. The wall next to me blew out, and I saw a man holding a scepter in hand rise from the ground. He had ink-black hair, pale skin, and Tesseract blue eyes, which were sharply contrasted by the gold and green war garments he was wearing. My eyes widened in confusion.

One of Clint's men rounded the corner, then held a gun to me while saluting to the man. "Master Loki, may I present the Tesseract?!" His voice shook, as if he was scared of "Loki"'s reaction when he found the Tesseract was inside me.

"This is not the Tesseract. This is a human girl." His voice was slick, like oiled glass.

"Dr. Selvig said that this girl absorbed the Tesseract, and it reformed around her heart like a shield. He can't get it out, but he is attempting to formulate a way to activate the portal while it is inside her." the gunman rattled off.

"I see." Loki circled as if he was inspecting and evaluating me.

"Um... Look, I don't know who you are, so I think I'm gonna skedadle." I bolted.

The back of my shirt was seized, and I fell backwards, my head bouncing off the metal floor. My vision blurred for a moment.

"Let me go!" I howled.

Loki's eyes hardened, and the next thing I knew, he was dragged me down the corridor by the chain linking my hands, his deluded minion trailing behind. Loki's grip was crazy strong, and I knew as long as he was holding me, I wasn't going anywhere.

We burst onto the roof of... what was this thing? I was still being yanked alongside the powerful man toward a jet. There was no way I was going with him. I pulled harder and screamed for help. A few seconds later, a man in a suit of metal propelled himself toward Loki and knocked him away from me. Iron Man? Cool. I scrambled away from the flurry of action when I felt a pain in my side. Oh, no, he didn't! I glared at the gunman, who backed away. The bullet had grazed my hip, but blood was still gushing from it. I had been electrocuted, blasted with radiation, and now I'd almost been shot. This was the last straw. I focused on the terrified man and I fell energy surge within me. A slate of energy materialized next to him and swept him off the airplane. My knees buckled, but I pulled myself up and ran desperately across the roof of the airplane and through the door. In case Iron Man lost, I needed to get away from Loki as fast as I could. I raced through the maze of corridors until I found a closet where I could hide. I did, and I passed out as soon as pushed my small build underneath a rack.


	2. Life-Changing

The first chapter was action-packed. The first part of this one is more subdued. But there are more surprises to come! :) Enjoy!

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I pulled my eyes open as I heard someone walking down the hall. Wait, where am I? Oh, right. The events from yesterday rush back. I'm sore from being so cramped. Voices start becoming distinct.

"So, we know that the woman Loki captured didn't get off the ship," a man said.

"But we've searched everywhere on the helicarrier!" a woman protested.

"Did we check cabinets and closets?"

"I don't think so. Let's start a fresh search."

In my panic, I created more blue discs. I didn't know how to shut them off, so they just stayed attached to my hands, glowing and humming until I pass out again from energy loss.

* * *

When I awaken again, a harsh light shone into my eyes. A man was on the floor looking at me. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a kindly face. Yet, I was terrified. I pressed against the wall in fright and tried to stay away from him.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. "My name is Steve. What's your name?" "Steve"'s voice was soft, but I did not not speak.

"Will you come out?" he asked.

I shook my head.

He pulled away and poked his head out of the closet door. He still spoke softly for my sake. "She's very scared, and a lot younger than we originally thought. Fourteen at the most. She's also bleeding badly."

What? Oh, yeah. That. I checked my side, and now that I was aware of it, it started to burn horribly.

A new voice said, "Let me try."

Steve snapped, "No! Tasha, this isn't an interrogation. I don't think this is right for you."

The female voice grumbled softly, but did not protest.

Steve peered back under the rack. "Hey," he said gently. "I know you don't trust me, but there's no other way. We can help you. Please come out?"

Steve's blue eyes shone pleadingly. I hesitated, but eventually I crawled out into the open. Steve stood up and helped me rise. I leaned on him and limped to the medical bay. There was no one else besides us. When we entered the hospital, I sat silently on the medical bed while a soft-faced nurse tended to my wounds. I winced as disinfectant was dabbed onto my scabs and cuts. When the nurse reached the cut in my side, she spread a paste on it and wrapped in cotton bandages. I dimly remember her mentioning to Steve that the wounds I received would scar noticeably. The white lines would stand out from my tan skin. When she was done, I followed Steve to a command center.

* * *

A door opened automatically on a conference room with four people in it. I stayed behind Steve cautiously.

"Hey, Steve. How's our intruder- Uh! I mean visitor?" A dark haired man had been speaking when woman with fiery red hair and blazing green eyes elbowed him sharply in the side.

"Who are you?" asked an African-American man.

"Director Fury, this is- well, I don't know. She won't speak." Steve sounded frustrated.

"What are we going to do about her, than?" "Fury" asked.

"Well, Loki was after her for some reason. I recognize her from earlier when I attacked Loki on the desk." the dark-haired man said.

I glanced inquisitively at Steve, and he answered my tacit question. "That's Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov, Director Fury, and Thor. Thor is the Norse God of thunder, but he's very nice."

I nodded appreciatively. My senses suddenly pricked.

I heard movement.

The load of a gun.

The pull of a trigger.

I whirled around to see a bullet flying toward Steve in slow motion. I raised my hands and the bullets rebounded off the blue disks. I was sure that I looked like the other me. I heard several gasps behind me. An agent took away the last of Loki's deluded minions.

Director Fury looked slightly confused. "What was that?"

I simply gazed at him.

"Hill!" he barked. He started divvying commands to her about locating the Tesseract.

"Come, on. We'll get you some food," Steve offered.

I smiled slightly, and Steve grinned a soft little smile.

I followed the loud group of superheroes as Steve gently laid her hand on my shoulder. "They can be noisy and naive, but they're really a good bunch once you get to know them."

Naturally, I didn't respond, but I was quietly assimilating everything that I saw and heard We made our way to a cafeteria where there is food in abundance, but I was cautious of what I chose to eat. I ended up settling on a Caesar Salad with chicken and parmesan cheese.

I picked at it and ate slowly as I listened to the chatter of the group. All the talk was irrelevant, and Thor had a booming voice that hurt my ears. Suddenly, the world reeled. Everything spun and I was abruptly standing on a barren planet. A cold voice crawled up my spine and sat on my shoulder, whispering in my ear.

"Come along, Midgardian. Give me back my Tesseract."

* * *

I turned and was staring at the most horrific creature I'd ever seen. It- I can't even describe it.

"I don't know what you mean," I whispered.

"I think you do, mortal. You are glowing with the power of the Tesseract. Although, it has had some side effects." His yellow eyes narrowed as he examined my hair and eyes.

"I don't know how to get it out, much less control it," I said quietly.

"You will deceive the Avengers. Every night, I will visit you, and you will relay all the the information that you learn about them. Try to get schematics of the Iron Man suit, what metal Captain America's shield is made of, how to disable the Hulk - anything that helps my army to invade and Loki to win. And that would be better. S.H.I.E.L.D. will study you, and test you, trying to get their Tesseract out of you. They will prolong your suffering until there's nothing left of you but an empty shell. It does not need to be that complicated. With a simple spell, Loki, the Asgardian, can remove it's power from you. He only must learn it, and you are free."

I stared in horror at the creature. How could I do that? The Avengers saved my life. How could I turn around and betray them? Even though they would test me, hurt me, and basically drive me insane, I couldn't!

I shook my head, backing away from him. "No, no, no, I won't help you!"

He growled and reached out a gnarled hand. I started shaking. Something was moving my body back and forth. The barren planet faded and I was back on the helicarrier, the Black Widow shaking my arm, expression deadly. I jumped so hard I fell out of my chair. I scrambled up and backed away from her. I remembered what the thing had said, and I was starting to believe it. Running was my best option.

So I did.

I flew down the corridor, adrenaline racing through my bloodstream, energizing every fiber of my being. The only thought in my head was repetitive, constant: I must get out; I must get out; I must get out.

I heard light footsteps behind him, and they were gaining. Only Natasha could run like that. I silently begged the Tesseract to help me.

And it spoke.

Not figuratively, but with a real voice. It was the voice of a woman, which surprised me. It was cool and calm, like a gently flowing stream infused with mint leaves.

"How can I help you?" It asked quietly.

"How-?" I stuttered in my head.

"You called for my help, and I am in you, so I can communicate with you. I know all your thoughts, your feeling, your motives, your passions. I know all about you, Ava." It answered my tacit question. "I sound like a woman because that's what you want to hear."

"Ok, then please help me. I need to get off of this ship. I'm afraid of what the Avengers might do to me. But I couldn't bargain with that alien."

"I understand. You must learn the powers of the Tesseract, and I am here to help you. Here is what you must do:"

I listened to the cool voice of the Tesseract, and then I was ready to try what she (he? it?) suggested. I burst out onto the deck of the helicarrier, somehow breathing in the thin air. I pulled up short at the edge, common sense holding me back. I stared down at the ground, thousands of feet below me. I took a deep breath, then mentally reaching inside of myself, grasping a strand of limitless power. I felt the transformation occur, and I sensed movement behind me.

I turned and found Steve there, gazing at me in horror.

"Look, I don't know what happened back there, but I need you to know that no one is going to hurt you. You are safe here, and you can trust us."

I shook my head and pulled a bit more power. I stretched out my hand and blue wisps of energy curled from my fingertips. A slate of power hovered in the air, and I tested how solid it was as Steve stared in amazement. I slowly transferred control of the slate from my hand to my mind. The Tesseract mentally nodded her approval.

"Go," she whispered.

I licked my dry lips, then fell backwards, off of the helicarrier. I stared at the blue sky as I plummeted down toward the earth.


	3. Trap

I consolidated four chapter into three, but number four is coming soon. :) I'd like to acknowledge some very special people...

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If I forgot anyone, let me know!

And a BIG thank you to my beta-reader, SiriuslyAddictedtoReading! She has helped me SO much. Thank you!

* * *

Hours later, my legs were aching, my eyelids were drooping, and if it weren't for the hard energy holding me in place, I would've fallen off the platform/hovercraft/surfboard by now. Stark Tower came into focus before the rest of the city did. I thought I would start there and see whether or not I could find out where Loki was hiding.

As the tower came into view, I saw the complex, metal contraption on the roof. Out of curiousity, I landed on the rooftop, and the platform dissolved. I walked over to it, and saw that a metal plank, shaped like what someone would lie down on, was attached to the machine with tubes running into the headrest. Metal cuffs were where hands and feet should be, and there were screen, dials, and knobs all over it.

As the pieces of the puzzle all flew in place, I heard the silky voice behind me. Too late, much too late. I whirled around to see Loki standing there, looking exactly as he had on the helicarrier. I started to alert the Tesseract that he was an enemy, but she assured me that she already knew. Right. Our minds were melded. I slid into a defensive stance, something I had picked up from the few self-defense classes I had been forced to take.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Loki sauntered towards me.

My mouth remains tightly shut. I feel a tendril of... something brush against my mind, and, with the help of the Tesseract, throw up a barrier. A weak one, but still a barrier.

"Hmm, you're a fighter, am I right?"

My eyes convey what I am unwilling for my mouth to: I'm not speaking, but I am not afraid of you.

"What happened to you? You were so talkative, so willing to fight. Now you are simply a piece of stone, unmoving, silent. What happened to the girl with the Tesseract?"

His words anger me, and something almost slips out, but I still say silent. In the moment my anger distracts me, Loki performs a quick sweep of my mind and backs out before I attack.

"Oh. What do we have here?" His sly grin and knowing smile scares me, but I keep the emotion off my face. "Lack of a father, raised by a mother who prefers your sister. Your sister, Callista. Let's see... Father died when you were seven. Your mother always prefered your sister, but when your father died, she made your life hell. Your only escape was through your notebook, which you would guard with your life. But, you and your sister love each other, even though your mother is embarrassed by you. Interesting home life, eh?"

My rage boiled inside of me until I could contain it no longer. My eyes narrowed into slits and I gently tapped into the Tesseract energy. In my rage, my hold on the mental tube the power was streaming through slipped, and I was overwhelmed with unbelievable energy. My vision cut off, and I could see nothing but blue light. I felt the transformation take place. I thought my life force was going to burn out, but the Tesseract helped me control the steam of energy.

All this happened in a series of seconds, but by the time my vision cleared, I knew it was several seconds too many. A vice-like grip surrounded my arms and I was lifted off the ground. My feet swung back and forth and I felt myself being carried forwards. The final wisps of blue were sucked from my eyes and I saw the metal machine draw closer. I kicked out, trying to throw Loki off balance. I tried to communicate with Loki through the Tesseract, but his mind was tightly guarded.

Finally, I screamed, "Loki stop!"

Loki paused for a brief moment, then continued, "Well, looks like the songbird found her voice."

I kicked my feet out and planted them against the metal platform. "Loki, you don't know what you're doing. It the Tesseract; she's controlling you. Well, I think the monster is using the Tesseract to control you. It doesn't matter, but you have to stop!"

"You don't know what you're talking about, girl." But there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Being more careful this time, I brushed the energy within me. I focused in front of me, trying to uproot the equipment. Instead, a ball of energy exploded in front of me. It was clear: I couldn't control the Tesseract.

Suddenly, Loki froze. I managed to glance up at him, and his head was cocked, as if he was listening to something. Or someone.

"Selvig!" he barked.

I instantly recognized the aging scientist. "Yes, Master Loki?"

"Will the machine work if the girl can't control the Tesseract?"

"No, my lord. It will not work."

I grinning triumphantly. Accidentally, I set off another explosion midair. It was closer this time, and I felt the heat sear my face. Loki backed away and released me, trying to escape from the heat.

I scrambled up, ignoring my burnt face, and took off towards the edge of the tower.

Suddenly, I was floating in air. I could move my limbs, but I couldn't move forwards or backwards. I glared daggers at Loki, seeing his hand thrust out towards me. Magic. I consulted the Tesseract, but she was silent. I stretched my hand out in front of me, but I encounter a smooth barrier. I followed it with my hand. I was trapped in a circle of pure power.

Whatever levitation spell that was on me lifted, and I slammed down on the solid bottom of the sphere. It drifted towards Loki, who zoned in on me.

"Now my dear, see how you'll escape. You can use all the power you want on the sphere. The energy will just bounce back onto you. I wouldn't advise fighting it."

I screwed up my face and released a tiny bolt of energy. It bounced off and entered my leg, the energy merging back with the whole Tesseract. I was unharmed. So was the sphere. I created the blades on my arms and slicing at the barrier, but nothing happened. I slammed the blue discs into the sphere in frustration. It was unharmed. I sat back in defeat, but I continued to glare at Loki. He simply smirked. This was utterly humiliating. He walked inside, the circular prison trailing behind him. The cage gently floated up and down; it was slightly nauseating. When I was assaulting the side, it moved back and forth. When Loki entered one of the rooms in Stark Tower, he fixed the top of the prison to the ceiling. It did not budge as I pounded my fists and threw my body weight against it. I could do nothing until Loki decided what to do with me.


	4. Opened

An update! That's right, folks, an update! Ok, again, another acknowledgement to SiriuslyAddictedtoReading for being such a beautiful beta-reader! Now, I have updated ALL of these past chapters, so I HIGHLY recommend you go back and re-read them. I changed a name, and added bits to the story line. Remember, R&R!

* * *

I finally dozed off, and it seemed like the first time I had slept in days. I was thoroughly exhausted. I tried to keep my eyelids from closing, but the Tesseract assured me that even though I would be sleeping, she would be alert.

¨Promise you'll wake me if Loki comes?¨

¨I promise, Ava,¨ she assured me.

Her minty voice swept over my mind like a velvet cloth, and I fell into a deep sleep.

It wasn't until the next day I awoke, and I only knew because the Tesseract was keeping track of time for me. According to her precise measurements, I had slept for 22 hours, 32 minutes, and 14 seconds. Very precise indeed. I blinked sleepily, and looked around the room. Fortunately, I had a fantastic view of most of Manhattan. I had a very good idea of what was going on out there. The only thing that was interesting was Stark flying toward the building in his hot rod red suit. I followed him with my eyes, and he disappeared, and I heard the machine taking off his suit. Loki came inside from the walk outside the clear glass windows.

"Well, look who's awake," he purred.

"How about you let me out and I'll just punch you in the face?" I knew it wasn't going to happen, but I had to stay tough.

Loki just chuckled darkly, and Tony Stark himself waltzed into the bar area. His eyes narrowed when he saw me.

"Kid?" he asked.

"Tony," I replied.

"Hey, you talk!"

"Forget about that. Can you get me out of here?"

"Wait a second, kid."

I harrumphed, but observed quietly as Tony engaged Loki. He baited and jibbed at him, and I watched with interest. Well, I couldn't hear what they were saying. I could tell by the look on their faces. Suddenly, Loki's hand flew around Tony and threw him out the window. I stared in horror, and scream stuck in my throat. I saw a suit follow Tony out the jagged hole in the glass and I knew he'd be back up any second. He was.

"And there's someone else you pissed off." His words are clear as day. "His name is Phil."

Tony fired a shot at Loki and hit him straight in the chest. Tony flew (hummed, buzz, rocketed?) over to the bubble.

"Kid, are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. And I have a name."

"Well, what is it?"

"Ava," I stated firmly.

"Ava? I'll have to get you a nickname. Now, as for this bubble... JARVIS, can I get an analysis on this? We need to- oof!"

"Tony!" I yelled.

Loki was back up, and he had shot repeatedly at Tony's back. The suit crackled with blue energy, and Tony retreated with a meaningful look at me. He'd be back.

"We'll have to start, control or no," Loki growled.

My bubble followed the pale god to the roof, and I floated over to the machine. Dr. Selvig powered up the machine.

I contacted the Tesseract. "What do I do? Help me!"

"Ava, I cannot," she said coolly.

"Why? You must help me!" I was frantic.

She was silent. My body was warped, and I was forced into the machine. The machine locked me into place, and no matter how much I struggled, I couldn't get loose. The machine whirred and clicked. Excruciating pain whizzed through my veins. A blood-curdling scream leapt from my throat as a beam of energy shot from my chest. A portal opened with a blaze in the sky. Chitauri poured out of it.

Tears leaked from my eyes, which were dull, with barely a spark of life. My muscles, which had been straining against the restraints, were limp. My head had rolled so it resting upon my left shoulder. Black tinged the edge of my vision, and I wondered dimly if I was going to die.

I heard Loki laugh maniacally. I had to stop this. I was slowly learning how the Tesseract worked. I felt her buried in my mind; trying to trick me into thinking she wasn't awake. But I knew she was. I dragged her to the front of my mind.

"You are going to help me, whether you like it or not! You forced yourself into my body, and you've seriously screwed up my life, so start talking! Or, if you're too stubborn for that, a User's Guide would be helpful." I yelled at her.

The Tesseract sighed softly. "Very well. If you try to close the portal, you will destroy yourself from the inside out. You are not experienced enough yet. Instead, you need to transfer the energy to something else. There is a small space located on the machine, about one cubic inch in size. You can transfer a bit of energy into the hole and the machine will take care of the rest."

"Ok, let me see..." I screw up my brow in thought. I focused a pinch of energy on the cuffs holding me in place. They popped open. I forced myself off of the plate. The portal shooting from my chest almost threw me off balance, but I moved the energy to the palm of my hand instead.

"What if I just dropped it?" I wondered.

"It's not that simple. Chitauri are shoving their way through the portal. You need to stem the flow. Once you do that, you can shrink the portal until it vanishes." The Tesseract sounded irritated. Oh, well.

I let some energy stream out of my fingertips and into the machine. I felt lighter. "Can I heal myself? I should jump into battle able to fight."

"Yes, you can. The Tesseract is concentrated over you heart. If you release the energy and let it flow through your limbs, it will be easier to control, and you will automatically heal."

"You coulda told me sooner..." As I released the energy, I realized something. Every time I speak to the Tesseract, I'm speaking to her in my head. Am I going crazy?

The Tesseract snorted. I ignored her. Instead, I created another blue surfboard and floated down to join the fight.


	5. Calm

Another update! This one was fun to write. I'm speeding off to France this week, and I think I'm gonna write on the plane. I'll try to update again before I go, but no guarantees. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Please please please review!

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I leapt off the glowing platform, landing on the balls of my feet on the hard asphalt. Just a few glances around me confirm what I had already suspected. It was going to be a lot harder than the Tesseract wanted me to believe. I sighed. Well, no time like the present. I took one step forward, and not a moment too soon; a bolt of energy whizzed past my head. I turned and glared at a Chitauri. I realized that I had a distinct disadvantage. I believe I neglected to mention that I am 5'1". Chitauri are at _least_ 6 feet tall.

I tried to put on my brave face at I tilted my head to keep eye-contact with the creature as it advanced. I created the blades on my arms. The beast lunged, and, with a messy swipe, I cut a slice in its stomach. It collapsed at my feet, and I stared in horror of what I had just done. Shooting them would be a lot easier.

I aimed my right hand at another Chitauri, but I pulled my arm back and acted like I was throwing a ball. A glowing orb the size of a baseball collided with its chest, and it simply dropped. Less messy, but still dead.

I tried to fight my way over to where Chitauri were shrieking in horror. There must be an Avenger there. Not many Chitauri were killed by my blasts, just disabled, due to my awful aim. When I finally parted the curtain of scales and armor, I found The Black Widow. She was a demon with a mane of fire. The way she attacked the Chitauri fiercely, taking down at least ten in a minute.

A Chitauri lumbered toward me, but it soon dropped to the ground after it absorbed one of my balls of energy.

"Hey!"

I turned to see Natasha's piercing gaze on me. I realized that I must look like a mess. My simple blue T-shirt hung loosely over me with ripped sleeves, my hair was messily thrown in a ponytail, and my legs and arms were covered in scratches. I blushed conscientiously.

"What the heck are you doing here? You need to get someplace where you won't be hurt!"

"I can fight!" I insisted.

As if on cue, a troop of Chitauri rounded the corner. Natasha and I got to work. With her pistols and my improved aim, we dealt with them in a matter of moments. Natasha glanced at me, a bit surprised, but she continued to sprint toward another mass.

"Get the civilians into the subway!" she ordered.

I opened my mouth to protest, but she snapped, "Go!"

I huffed, but buried myself in a little cave of rubble. I concentrated in front of me, and created an enormous slab of blue energy. I curled the edges about two feet to make it like a tray. I sprinted out of my hiding place and every time I passed a civilian, I gently scooped them up with a spade-like form of energy.

The Tesseract stopped pouting and helped me locate strays.

Once I filled the giant tray, I found a subway station and deposited the civilians. I turned away, satisfied, when my body tensed.

Suddenly, hand seized the back of my shirt and I was yanked up. My cry for help turned to a spluttered choke as the front of my shirt pressed into my throat. I landed face down, and my arms were shoved behind my back. Rough rope was wound around my waist, neatly pinning my arms to my sides. I was yanked up again, and I struggled to regain my balance. Before I could, someone grabbed the end of the rope and jumped off the platform, pulling me too. We plummeted towards the top of Stark Tower, speeding up every second.

I could've burst the rope if I wanted to, but staying alive was a priority. A slab of shiny blue energy appeared. It caught me and the other person, who I had identified by the black hair and green and gold garments, and dropped us gently on the roof. I quickly sprang away from Loki, but he caught the rope and gave me a face full of gravel.

"Ow," I muttered as I peeled my face off of the gravel-covered roof.

I focused on the rope, and it dissolved along with a few sparks of energy. I glanced about triumphantly, but a hand slapped into my back, and I was spun around. I gazed into the blue eyes of Loki.

"You're not going anywhere, my dear. I believe you have something that belongs to me."

I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. Loki seized my throat and started dragging me towards that godforsaken machine.

"Not again!" I roared. I tried to swing my arms, which had the blades attached, but I froze. Loki took a few steps back and my eyes followed him, but I was immobile.

_Stupid magic. Stupid Chitauri. Stupid Tesseract. Stupid Loki. _I thought angrily.

Loki's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly rested the tip of his spear on my chest. I gasped and collapsed to the ground, the spell holding me released. I writhed on the ground, trying to keep Loki out of my head. I couldn't even contact the Tesseract for help; I had to focus on keeping Loki out of my head. I clutched my head and wailed. That's when the calm came.


End file.
